Father Christmas (Kringle & Co #4)

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

N oel awoke to the warm rays of morning light filtering through the curtains. The tops of buildings as well as tree tops had a healthy dusting of snow. He could hear the steady motor of plows working hard to clear the street.

He stretched leisurely, relishing the softness of the sheets against his skin. A contented smile spread across his face as memories of the passionate night with Mindy came flooding back.

He rolled over to gaze at her sleeping form, hair fanned out across the pillow. Even with eyes closed, her beauty took his breath away. Noel reached out to brush a stray lock from her cheek, heart swelling with affection.

He hadn't lasted a day resisting his attraction to her. One night was all it took to know this was how he wanted to spend every night from here on out. Mindy was a breath of fresh air, her vibrancy and lust for life reawakening parts of himself he thought long buried. Being with her felt right in a way he hadn't experienced in years.

He thought it possible she might feel the same. Maybe not forever, but at least for a long while. He'd just have to figure out how to make awhile last into forever.

A sudden knock at the door jolted Noel from his blissful reverie. He tensed, carefully extricating himself from Mindy's embrace. There was only one person who would show up unannounced at this early hour.

Pulling on a pair of sweats, he padding to the door. Noel took a deep breath before turning the knob. As expected, his disheveled son burst in without waiting for an invitation.

Noel immediately noted Elvin's bloodshot eyes and rumpled clothing. "What brings you by so early?"

Elvin began pacing, gesturing wildly. "What brings me by? Oh I don't know Dad, maybe the fact that my life is falling apart. My girlfriend broke up with me."

"Amber? I thought you guys broke up weeks ago."

"Amber? Yeah, we did. I mean, my last girlfriend. You never met her."

Noel had long stopped trying to meet his son's girlfriends. They never lasted and often overlapped. More than once, Noel had outed his son by getting a name wrong.

"This last girl and I were dating for a couple of months."

"Weren't you dating a girl named Renee a couple months ago, too?"

"Why are you talking about Amber and Renee? They weren’t serious girlfriends. We were just fooling around. I was serious about the last one. But then she dumps me because she doesn't think I'm mature enough."

Noel suppressed a sigh, all too familiar with his son's tendency to shirk personal responsibility. Ever since the divorce, his ex-wife had coddled the boy, sheltering him from the consequences of his actions.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But relationships are a two-way street. Perhaps you could reflect on how you might have contributed?—"

"Me?" Elvin interrupted indignantly. "I gave that woman everything."

Noel bit his tongue. He couldn't help feeling he had failed his son. Losing custody after the divorce meant he only had weekends to try and instill discipline in the boy. But his ex-wife's permissiveness prevailed.

Before Noel could respond, Mindy emerged from the bedroom, wrapped in a robe. Her eyes widened at the sight of Elvin. Noel watched a myriad of emotions cross her face—surprise, discomfort, even a flash of panic.

"Mindy, this is my son, Elvin," Noel explained, giving her an apologetic look. "Elvin, Mindy Evergreen."

Elvin's gaze darted between them. The wheels turned slowly before realization dawned. "Wait...you and my dad? Seriously?"

"This is not happening." Mindy's voice was more of a croak than a whisper.

"Wait? Is this how you're getting back at me? You're fucking my dad?"

Noel knew he should be saying words. But he was having an out-of-body experience. His soul was looking down at the train wreck of a scene, wondering how to get back into his body.

"I can't believe this." Elvin actually stomped his foot. "First the divorce. Then you cut off my credit cards when I turned twenty-one."

Noel had cut off his son's credit cards after the kid had maxed them out not once, not twice, but three times on a weekend bender.

"And now you jump into bed with my girlfriend."

Noel slammed back into his body. "She hasn't been your girlfriend for weeks. And frankly, the way you treated Mindy wasn't right."

Noel felt more embarrassed about his son's lack of sexual prowess than the debt.

Elvin looked incredulous. "Oh, so you're taking her side now? Unbelievable."

"There are no sides here," Noel said evenly. But there actually were. Noel sidestepped his son to move closer to Mindy. "Can't we talk about this calmly?"

Elvin threw his hands up in disgust. "Forget it. I don't need this aggravation." He stormed toward the door.

"Elvin, wait?—"

But his son was already gone, slamming the door behind him. Noel sighed, turning back to Mindy with an apologetic expression. She stood there, shell-shocked. He wondered if her soul was now hovering outside of her body.